More Than Just A Dream
by Shyma Tavrott Lupin
Summary: 14 year old Alex Rider shot up screaming in bloody murder. He looked around. He was still in his room. As a matter of fact he was still in bed too. And it took him a while but he finally realized it was just a nightmare. Just a horrible twisted nightmare.


**Disclaimer: i own nothing but that picture of Ian Rider on my binder**

**Author's note: just to let you guys know in this just as well as my other stories Jack and Ian have a brother sister type relationship kay? **

"_Hey Alex" came the voice of Ian Rider as soon as Alex picked up his phone._

"_Hey, you coming home?" Alex replied, barely able to contain his excitement form hearing his uncle's voice for the first time in weeks._

"_Yeah I'm on my way now" Ian said glancing at his rearview mirror, he almost groaned when he saw two motorcycles on his tail. _

"_So how was the conference?" Alex asked_

"_Uh…it was fine" Ian said pressing a button on what looked like the radio. The "AC vent" flipped in and a small screen slid out of a hidden compartment. "You know how they are" Ian said looking at the screen._

"_No I don't, you never tell me." Alex replied flatly. _

_Ian glanced at his rearview mirror again "There isn't much to tell" He pressing a label on the screen reading Fire "Wait a minute" he said quickly as missiles shot out of the back of the car and completely annihilated the two bikes behind him. A grin broke out on his face, yet another successful save._

_The screen slid back in and the ac vent flipped back out, the small screen underneath (which was supposed to be reading tracks off a cd) read Target Destroyed. _

"_What was that?" Alex asked, hearing the explosion._

"_Um nothing, uh Alex look I'm really sorry about last weekend, I know I said I'd be there but this trip just came out of-"_

"_No where" Alex cut him off. Ian was almost relieved that his short little rant got his nephew's attention off the explosion. "As always" Alex added. _

"_Yeah…look I'll be back in time for dinner, whatever it is that Jack cooked up, and then we've got the whole weekend" _

"_Really?" Alex said, the excitement flashing off his voice._

"_Oh come on when did I ever let you down?" _

"_Do you really want me to answer?"_

_Ian chuckled "Yeah I know. Look I'll see you soon ok?"_

_He wanted so much to say Come back safe of love you or something of that sort but he felt far to immature saying any of those so he just stuck with _"_I'm glad you called" _

"_Yeah, me too" Ian replied "I'll see you later Alex"_

"_Alright bye" _

_At that Ian hung up and turned up the volume of his music. He drove at what seemed like far beyond the speed limit but no one cared. As if there was anyone there anyway. He turned and continued along the road when a large black helicopter began to hover over the car._

_A man swung out of the copter and hung upside down from it so he was peering right at Ian._

_And the last thing Ian Rider saw was that kid that his older brother had trained all those years ago, with a gun in each hand pointed straight at him._

_And then darkness and blood._

14 year old Alex Rider shot up screaming in bloody murder. He looked around. He was still in his room. As a matter of fact he was still in bed too. And it took him a while but he finally realized it was just a nightmare. Just a horrible twisted nightmare.

He glanced over at the digital clock on his bedside table

_4:35_

Suddenly Alex's heart leapt to his throat. Ian was supposed to leave on a business trip almost a half an hour ago.

And what if…..what if that was more than just a nightmare? What if-

Alex was pulled out of his thoughts by a frantic Jack running into his room, "Alex?!" She yelled flipping the lights on as she came in. Seeing that he was alive and well she strode in and sat down at the edge of his bed. She began to stroke his hair "Thank god you're alright, you gave me quite a scare-""Jack where's Ian?" Alex felt that he should have told her he was alright and just had a nightmare, because judging by the way she looked she probably threw on a pair of robes and flew across the house to see if he was ok.

But whether Ian was still alive or not seemed much more important at the moment.

"Ian? He left-""How long ago?!" Alex wanted to make sure that his uncle had been gone long enough before officially breaking down and panicking.

"I dunno why?" Jack replied. "Just tell me Jack, I need to know!" Alex screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Um I don't know 15 minutes? Maybe more? Why?"

Alex's hands slid off Jack's shoulders. His head fell slowly into them "No…..no no…." he moaned quietly.

"Alex?" Jack mumbled putting a hand on the boy's shoulder "Is everything ok? Why do you need Ian?"

The red-head almost jerked backward when Alex looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, eyes turning a sick shade of red.

"Alex what's wrong?" It made Jack extremely nervous seeing him like this. Considering he had never really broken down like this before. "D-do you want me to call Ian up for-"

But before she could finish a familiar calm deep voice came from Alex's bedroom doorway.

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary Jack."

Looking up Alex saw the figure of his calm (not to mention living and breathing) uncle leaning against the doorframe "Ian…" he muttered. After the image of his uncle sank in tears began to pour out of his eyes again, this time for seeing Ian alive and not in a questionable car with bullets shot in his chest and skull. "Ian….you're back. I thought you left….. ?" Jack said slightly alarmed.

"I did, I was starting up the car when I heard screaming." Ian replied in a very monotone voice.

The two where brought back to the reason why they where both there at the sound of a small shaky voice:

"I-Ian….you're ok…" Alex gasped.

Ian walked slowly into the room. If he was surprised to any degree that his nephew thought he was in harm's way then he definitely didn't show it. His face read absolutely nothing.

As soon as he reached Alex's bed he crouched down and put his hands solemnly on the boy's shoulders. "What's wrong Alex?"

Not even a hint of concern in his voice. It almost made Jack sick. She had come to argue with Ian so many times over the years on this topic. Always ending up with the same reply:

_I appreciate that you are concerned for his well being but I will raise Alex the way I feel is best._

It frustrated her to no end. Sometimes she really wanted to kick him.

Alex on the other hand wanted nothing more that to launch himself onto his uncle and just hold him until he felt content this wasn't just another dream.

But as much as he loved Ian he also feared him. And was compelled to answer his question.

"I-I had…a-a…-"Alex found he couldn't bring himself to meet Ian's stormy grey eyes.

"Alex. Tell me what's wrong." Ian said a bit louder, shaking the shoulders he held lightly.

"I had a dream…….a-and….you where…shot and....killed." Alex looked down as low as he possibly could, but shot his gaze upward when he felt those large calloused hands coming off his shoulders.

But as fast as he looked up, the first thing he saw was Ian's back turned, walking away from him.

"Ian….don't leave……please don't leave..." he whispered, pushing off his covers and sitting at the edge of the bed.. But the man kept walking towards the door.

The sight broke Jack's heart. Then infuriated her.

_How could he just leave like that?_

"That's it?" She yelled at Ian "You're just gonna leave him now?" But Ian didn't even flinch. He walked to the doorway and stopped.

For a second Jack's heart leapt to her throat and she was deathly afraid of what he might say or do next. But the feeling passed and she yelled at him again "For god's sake Ian your own nephew, just saw you being shot to death, and you're just gonna leave?!"

Ian ran a hand slowly up the wall until it met the light switch. His finger lay on it for a moment before he flicked it to off. Even so light seeped through the closed blinds, as it was the crack of dawn.

"Ian……" Alex pleaded as quietly as he possibly could.

And as if he had heard Ian turned around and walked slowly back to his nephew's bedside, staring straight at the boy. Alex quickly looked down as he approached.

"Where you scared?" Ian said so quietly Alex almost didn't catch it.

Alex nodded "I dunno Ian……it felt like…no…..it hurt…it like...like along with yours my life ended too."

If one wasn't looking carefully enough they would have missed the sudden jolt of emotion that shot through Ian's handsome features.

Concern.

Pain.

Hurt.

Love.

But neither Jack nor Alex was looking at him carefully.

"I don't wanna loose you and-" but when Alex looked up and stopped as Ian reached out a hand towards the boy's head and ran it slowly through the blonde curls.

His hand moved slowly to the back of Alex's head.

And with a sudden movement that caught his nephew completely off guard Ian pulled the boy close and wrapped an arm around him.

Alex shuddered, the sudden warmth of his uncle's embrace took a while to sink in. And once it did he threw his arms around Ian's waist and dug his face into the older man's stomach (he still hadn't figured out how Ian, being a banker had kept his body so tight.)

Tears poured out of Alex's eyes, and eventually it was so much he boy was in hysterics.

Ian took him by the shoulders and crouched down to his height. But Alex looked down, hiccups choking out of his throat. He felt so childish acting like this but he couldn't help it. Every teen had their emotional breakouts. Might as well have his now.

"Alex, calm down ok? Relax and take a breath." Ian said wiping a tear off his nephew's cheek. Alex obeyed and took a shaky breath.

"I'm fine. I'm alright ok?"

Alex nodded.

"Good." Ian took one hand off the boy's shoulder, but with the other, softly pushed him to lie back down.

He flashed a virtually undetectable smile and turned to leave but was stopped once again by his nephew's shaky voice "Ian please d-don't leave…."

Ian turned to face him. Then ruffled the blonde hair "I won't. I promise." He smiled "Go back to sleep Alex. You have school in a few hours."

" 'kay" Alex whispered.

Both he and Jack took a moment to appreciate what a wonderful smile Ian had. His eyes bore tiredness and maybe just a bit of hurt but his smile lit up the rest of his face making him look truly happy.

Too bad he barely ever smiled. Too bad he didn't have a girlfriend. Any girl would be a sucker for that smile.

"See you later then Ian……love you." Alex smiled remembering those words he wanted to say in his dream before his uncle was killed.

"I love you too Alex." Ian gave the boy's hair one last ruffle and quickly strode out of the room. He muttered something along the lines of "Goodbye Jack" to the red-head still standing at the door as he left.

Jack and Alex both smiled. It amazed both of them at how much of a down-to-earth man Ian was.

And little did they know that, that would be the last time they would be seeing that wonderful down to earth man.

Little did they know that would be the last time they would see that tired-eyed, face lit smile.

And little did they know that what Alex saw just a little under a half an hour ago…. might have been a little more than just a dream.

**Well Ian's promise pretty much went out the window T-T Again if you've ever read any of my other fics you'll know that i can't help but put in dichotomic endings *shrug***

** It's just me. Guys please please review, i'd totaly love u if u did. and one more thing, i just put up a poll for what my next Alex Rider fic should be about. Now I have promised that all of my Alex Rider fics would be about Ian so obviosuly all the stories in my poll are incorporated with Ian. I would apreciate it so much if u guys took a second to vote in the poll. thanks for reading guys and please please review an vote!**


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